Silicone Perma Lip Implants

One of the newer lip augmentation trends has been permanent lip implants. Lip implants have been around for some time, more innovative methods continue to be developed to achieve more natural-looking, safer results. One of the newest permanent lip implants to be introduced is the Perma Facial Implant™ by SurgiSil™. Read on to learn more about this new implant and other forms of permanent lip augmentation.

What is the Perma Facial Implant™?

Created by SurgiSil™, a medical device manufacturing company in Texas, the Perma Facial Implant™ is a silicone implant that was originally designed to augment the lips, but it can reportedly be used to contour the cheeks, chin and nose as well. Marketed as PermaLip™ in Europe, the Perma Facial Implant first received FDA clearance in 2007. According to the SurgiSil website, approximately 100 surgeons in the U.S. were offering Perma Implants by early '09.

Perma lip augmentation isn't performed through an injection like lip fillers; rather, it's achieved by surgically inserting a soft, solid silicone elastomer piece into the lips. The silicone lip implants come in different sizes for a more customized appearance, and they are smooth and non-porous in surface texture.

Pros and Cons of Perma Lip Implants

Pros

Unlike some ePTFE lip implants, Perma Implants can be easily removed at any time if problems arise, or if the results aren't what was desired. They also reportedly look and feel very natural, and are virtually unnoticeable while eating, kissing etc.

Although Perma Facial Implants are made from silicone, their solid structure makes them impermeable and incapable of rupturing, leaking or degrading. They also don't tend to develop "tissue in-growth," or unsightly scar tissue on and around the implant.

Perma lip augmentation is a relatively simple procedure, and offers permanent results after a one-time surgery. By comparison, injectable lip fillers need to be performed every few months or twice a year to maintain the augmented results.

Cons

Perma Facial Implants are more expensive than injectable fillers per treatment, with the average cost being somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000—which is to be expected with a permanent as opposed to a temporary procedure.

Patients who are interested in lip augmentation but have no experience with fillers or other types of lip enhancement might not want to start with Perma Lip Implants. If a patient has had good experiences with lip filler injections and wants to achieve more long-term enhancement results, Perma Implants may be the right choice.

While Perma Implants are safe and risk-free for the most part, patients may experience these temporary side effects post surgery:

bruising

swelling

slight discomfort

tenderness

Perma Facial Implant patients may be prescribed Arnica or Bromelain post surgery to help alleviate pain and sensitivity.

Permanent Lip Augmentation Alternatives

While the Perma Lip Implants are considered to be a highly effective and clinically safe method of permanent lip augmentation, there are other options available. Other synthetic lip implant varieties include SoftForm, GORE-TEX® and Ultrasoft.

All three of these varieties use a non-biodegradable synthetic polymer called expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) to create the lip implants. The material ePTFE is a soft, flexible substance that is also porous, allowing tissue in-growth to occur. This process is supposed to prevent implant migration, but this can also create issues with scar tissue growth.

SoftForm and Gore-tex are very similar except for slight differences in the shape and structure of the implants. Ultrasoft, a newer form of SoftForm implants, are reputed to be up to three times softer than its predecessor.

Another popular, but non-permanent lip implant is AlloDerm®. Derived from human cadaver tissue, AlloDerm reportedly feels very natural and carries little risk of allergic reactions. Results reportedly last anywhere from 6-12 months, and will dissipate as AlloDerm's collagen eventually reabsorbs into the patient's tissue.

Are Perma Lip Implants Right for Me?

To determine if Perma Facial Implants for lip augmentation are right for you, it's best to meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss the potential risks and results, the surgery itself, and the candidacy requirements. They will best be able to answer any questions you might have regarding lip augmentation. Other surgical lip enhancement procedures include lip lifts and lip reduction.

If you do decide that PermaLip Implants are the right choice for you, make sure you have none other than a highly experienced lip implant surgeon, like Dr. Leff in Washington, perform your procedure. Plastic surgery procedures of any kind will always yield better results when they're performed by trained specialists.